Chargers Walk Off in Win vs Chattanooga State

The Chargers improved to 2-0 on the season with a dramatic come from behind victory over Chattanooga State on Friday.  After starter Drew Wilson pitched a scoreless first inning, Jaree Pledger led the Chargers off with a line drive home run to left field.  An error in the second led to a Chattanooga State run, but another home run, this time a moon shot off the bat of Parker Orr quickly put the Chargers back in front 2-1.  The score stayed that way until the top of the fifth when the Tigers touched Wilson for a leadoff a double, a pair of singles, and a bunt basehit to tie the game and load the bases with no one out.  Wilson then coerced a groundball to Jason Woszczynksi who forced a runner out at third, but then committed a throwing error to allow the go ahead run to score.  Sophomore Alex Holdbrooks came in to relieve Wilson, striking out both batters he faced, but not before a throwing error on an attempted steal cost GHC another run and put them in a 4-2 hole. 

In the bottom half of the fifth, the Chargers were able to answer back on a Jaree Pledger walk, a Zachary Miller double, and a big 2 RBI single by Cameron Hearn.  With the score back even at 4, Dash O'Neill handed the ball over to freshman righthander Noah Bryant, who struggled in his debut, giving way to Sam Warren with the bases loaded and no one out.  Warren was up to the task, striking out two and limiting the damage to just two runs in what could have been a disastrous inning for GHC.   After a scoreless seventh from Warren, the Chargers drew within one run when Zachary Miller scored an a Bryson Horne single.  Austin Foster scored on a bases loaded walk in the eighth to tie the ballgame 6-6, and Cody Johnson tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Warren to set the stage for some ninth inning heroics. 

Cameron Hearn was called out on strikes to start the bottom of the ninth when Bryson Horne battled his way to a two strike single to center field.  Blake Brady wasted no time capitalizing, ripping the first pitch he saw into the right field corner.  A Chattanooga State shift toward left field cost the Tigers a few extra seconds in getting the ball in to home plate, and Horne was able to come all the way around and score from first.  Cody Johnson gets credit for the win, and the Chargers will head into Saturday's doubleheader with GHC skipper Dash O'Neill looking for his team to capitalize on a few more chances.  "Chatt State is a good ball club and they are very well coached, so I think they had alot to do with us making some mistakes and missing a few opportunities.  We obviously need to do a little bit better job of taking care of the baseball and pushing runs across when we get the chance, but I am excited at the resilience we showed today.  Holdy, Warren, and CJ were unreal in relief, and our offense got it done when it mattered, so I'm encouraged."

GHC will host the Tigers in a doubleheader at LakePoint on Saturday.  First pitch is at 1PM.

Box Score